If you are a lover of unique timepieces, there are many great boutiques to see in Paris, that you can’t find elsewhere in the world. You can admire the Atmos Hermès clock (30 200 euros) in Hermès boutique, 24 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré or at Jaeger-LeCoultre (on photos), place Vendôme. On that famous place Vendôme, many Swiss manufacturers present the old and last prestigious timepieces. In the Opera neighbourhoud, Bucherer (also Swiss), has recently opened a very large boutique beside the Intercontinal Paris Le Grand hotel entrance. You can find somewhere to stay in the differents areas mentioned so that you can visit them easily. If you want to book or to take a drink in a 5 star hotel, you can find near the place Vendôme, Le Mandarin Oriental, rue Saint-Honoré. In the rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, the luxury hotel is Le Bristol. This hotel has just completed the renovations of its famous garden “à la française”, the largest of the parisian palaces (13,000 square foot).

A crystal sphere

The Atmos Hermès table clock unveils 15 rubis, transparency rubs shoulders with opalescence, glass meets metal. The artistic craftmanship combines the uncompromising nature of metal with the fragile vulnerability of crystal.

The crystal sphere thus houses a unique, almost perpetually moving mechanism developped by the Manufacture Jaeger-Lecoultre. Since 1928, its Atmos clock fascinates by its mechanism and mode of operation with no battery, no electric current and no winding.

A hermetically sealed capsule containing a mixture of gases that expands when the temperature rises and contacts when it drops. Connected to the mainspring of the clock, the capsule acts like a concertina or a pair of bellows, thereby constantly winding the mechanism. It is so sensitive that a one-degree temperature difference is enough to power it for twoo days. Its balance oscillates just twice a minute rather than the average 300 times of a classic wristwatch. The Atmos clock consumes 250 times less energy.

Thierry Hermès, a harness-maker, set up business in Paris in 1937. The Maison now exercices 14 different métiers : leather goods-saddlery, perfumes, diaries, shoes, jewellery, etc… In 1928, the first Hermès watches were presented in the store at the 24, Faubourg Saint-Honoré. At the time, Hermès placed its signature on timepieces that it created in collaboration with the Swiss watch manufacturers. Including Jaeger-LeCoultre which celebrates its 180 years old in 2013.

Nathalia Bienvenu-Kapferer, April 2013
Photos credit : Jaeger-LeCoultre

The iconic gloss adapts naturally to the many facets of women, from the most innocent to the most daring.

To showcase Lèvres Scintillantes’ full spectrum, Chanel presents the new “Collection Révélation” comprising of a range of different shades and effects.

Nathalia Bienvenu-Kapferer, April 2013
Photos Credit : Chanel

Mercedes-Benz plays with fashion’s freedom by presenting five Mercedes models that act like ambassadors of various fashion trends. Until the 15th April 2013, you can see the Golden G 63 AMG, the SLS AMG totally covered by metallic blue “python”, the latest A-Class delivered in white diamond with brushed aluminium, the black velvet covered CLS Shooting Brake and the “So Surprising” matte black SL.

Nathalia Bienvenu-Kapferer, March 2013
Photos credit : Mercedes-Benz France

«Relaxation, freedom and fantasy…being able to go to the Flore, to the Pantheon movies while going to buy a book.». That is what Catherine Deneuve likes about Rive Gauche.

The movie star is staged with humor in the illustrations. for Marjane Satrapi, «the world is Paris, and Paris, this is Catherine Deneuve». As a page of a «pop-up» book, the drawings are exposed in volumes. They will be subject to a set edited in 160 copies, sold 900 euros. A percentage of that will be given to the sponsorship hospital Necker-ill children service.

The emporium of initiated

At the border of the 6th and 7th districts of Paris, close to Saint-Germain des prés, Le Bon Marché can boast to represent the Rive Gauche spirit. It attracts, without rising their prices, a «select» clientele, both parisian and foreign. Its ambition is to «make this place unique, to cultivate a singular identity» with spots like «Le Théâtre de la Beauté», «L’Appartement de Mode» for wowen fashion, «La Maison d’Edition» gathering the art of living, with a design space, and «La Grande Epicerie de Paris». An impulsion that has been given since 1984, at the time where Le Bon Marché was being bought over by LVMH.

At the entrance of the store, the great names of luxury brands have each their own boutique. One can find a private stylist service and beauty treatment, not to mention the valet service. Le Bon Marché also wants to make its «Grande Epicerie de Paris», a Parisian institution with more than 30 000 products from all over the world, as well as 3000 references of champagns and alcohols. A gourmet corner, called «La Cuisine» proposes to-go repices or to eat at the counter.

The story of Le Bon Marché starts in the 19th century with Aristide Boucicaut, son of a milliner. He came to Paris to become a calico, he quickly understood that there is a place for a new type of commerce which would offer more choice. That is how he and his wife transform a simple shop into an «emporium», in which one can freely enter and walk around without being harrassed. The commercial innovations multiplied : fixed prices, reduced margin, home delivery, goods exchange, mail order selling, sales, privates concerts and library corner !

Nathalia Bienvenu-Kapferer, September 2012
Translation : Gautier Delavaud
Photos credit : Le Bon Marché

For the occasion, Chloé will reedit sixteen iconic pieces which will be for sale in stores from February 2013 on. Among them, the «violin» dress of Karl Lagarfeld (1983), the «ananas» tee-shirt of Stella McCartney (2001) and the «embrun» jersey-made dress (1960).

The exhibit explores the creative process of the brand. The silhouettes express the original vision of Gaby Aghion, the founder. The vision of an elegant and laid back garde-robe.

«Clothes at the crossroads between sewing know-how and freshness of know-be», says Clare Waight Keller, creative director. And to add : «they seek out/go to an independant woman who embraces the challenges of a modern life».

Dresses and silk crepe ensembles from the 70’s are contrasting with the graphic and coloured print from the 60’s. One finds also surrealist and crazy thematics from the 60’s.

Nathalia Bienvenu-Kapferer, August 2012
Translation : Gautier Delavaud
Photos Credit : Chloé (including portrait of Gaby Aghion)

The famous American moviemaker, lover of the French capital, is also a painter, sculptor, photograph and designer.

By signing the decoration of this suite, David Lynch follows the tradition of many artists who chose to stay in this grand hotel because of its «Left Bank» spirit.

To stay in this «Signature Suite» is to imbue with the recurring themes dear to David Lynch : love, eroticism and fantasy. Cinema lovers will run into the moods of Twin Peaks, Mulholland Drive or Blue Velvet; many masterpieces that have marked the career of the filmmaker.

Gautier Delavaud, August 2012
Translation : Gautier Delavaud
Photo credit : Lutetia

The main expresses the need to go back to «basics», with a khaki palette, black, gold and red. The classics of a contemporary «Rive Gauche» woman, who is totally liberated and has parisian chic style. Lloyd Simmons, Creative Director Make-Up Yves-Saint-Laurent tells: «this is during a walk in a luxuriant garden of Sao Paulo, by a tropical stormy day, that I saw, rapt with wonder, the colors sublimated by rain. Through the trees, spread a large basin. It was splashed by golden fountains, and the reflections of the nearby forest were alight in tones of green khaki, gold and black. I was delighted, blown away, when, as if by magic, going out of the shadows and effortlessly gliding out, apparead a night blue swan with a red beak, grey illuminated by the gray light of the setting sun. This scene, captured by chance, instantly made me think of this YSL Rive Gauche contemporary woman. So I wanted to create a look for her, working on these light tension games and material effects.»

The «couture» complexion of YSL is obtained with his «Dare To Glow» on the top of the forehead, the cheeks and the corner of the eyebrow. One then carves the cheekbones with the three shades «Palette Couture». Its jewelry box, patina khaki, engraved gold , plays on the contrast between matte and shiny, with the crocodile motif, emblem of the accessories collection and leather.

For a matte mouth, one can try one of the six new red lipstick «The Mats» from the «Rouge Pur Couture» collection (58 shades in total since 2010). One appropriates them in several ways, one says at YSL: «directly with the stick, if one knows well enough its face and if one has an assured gesture. Applied with the finger at the center of he mouth with few colors, for a natural bitten mouth effect. Or with a paintbrush for an intense color, sophisticated and an outline precision.

New serum «Regard»

After its serum and its «Forever Young Liberator cream, YSL launches the «serum pour le regard» the 3rd of September 2012 in France.

Glycobiological product-based, used in medecine. The expert comittee of YSL relies on glycans, constituents of the skin. Those glycans intervene in the metabolism of the cells, participate in the structure and the architecture of the skin tissue. With the use of the glycobiology, YSL wishes to climb up among the first five worldwide cosmetic brands, including among other asian customers, says Stephan Bezy, CEO international at YSL.

Manifesto, a feminity manifesto

The brand addresses its new perfume, Manifesto, to «all the women who invent their life at any moment», against everything that tarnish existence. A perfume embodied by American actress Jessica Chastain, Palme d’Or revelation of Festival de Cannes 2011. To «magnetic scents» of jasmine, mix thrush notes, cedar, sandalwood, crossed by the «sweet light» of vanilla and tonka.

Nathalia Bienvenu-Kapferer, August 2012
Translation : Gautier Delavaud
Photos credit : Yves Saint Laurent Beauté (L’Oréal)

This rich-in-mansions district is the residence of ambassies and ministries. It is actually the district where the Matignon mansion is located, house of the Prime Minister. The Galliffet mansion, situated between rue de Grenelle, rue de Varenne and rue du Bac, welcomes the Instituto Italiano di Cultura of Paris since 1962. It will be opened for free guided visits at the occasion of Heritage Days, September the 16th 2012 (10.30 am-18 pm).

Culture and cooking

In order to promote relations between Italy and France, the institute organises exhibitions and projections in that matter. It welcomes among other a language school and the most documented Italian library in Paris. To get there, you go down in the old kitchens, built in 1833. While going out, you can enjoy the private garden, very calm for a parisian garden.

On the novelty side, it comes up with the creation of Italian cooking classes with chiefs from different regional traditions for the end of the year 2012.

A familial heritage

The Galliffet come from a very ancient noble family, native from Dauphiné. Marquis Louis François de Galliffet discharges the building of Denis Talon, an important former parliamentarian, in 1766.

Between 1784 and 1790, begins the construction of the current Galliffet hotel by the architect Etienne-François Le Grand and sculptor Jean-Baptiste Boiston. Marquis Simon-Alexandre de Galliffet, King advisor, made in 1783 a passable triumphal-arched shaped passage, located rue du Bac, and that became the main entrance.

In 1821, the heirs succeed in regaining possession of the hotel seized as an emigrant good in 1792. It is then divided in apartments and partly rented, among other to infante of Spain and to the nuncio of the pope. Finally, until 1938, the Galliffet hotel is the headquarter of the Italian embassy.

The hotel was the residency of state man and French diplomat Talleyrand for 10 years. At the end of 1797, it is in the living room of the hotel that he meets for the first time Bonaparte. Back then, the Galliffet hotel becomes a thoroughfare for the European gotha.

The garden of the mansion is actually the scene of gorgeous parties. For instance, one owes to Talleyrand the miniature reconstruction of Piazza del Palazzo Vecchio of Firenze, in the honnor of the Great dukes of Toscane.

A monumental facade

The majesty of the hotel Galliffet expresses itself thank to its eight ionic ten-meter high columns and its two doric columns. The windows surmounting them are decorated with triangular pediments. Wreaths of oak and laurel, symbols of strengh and glory, decorate the main and frames the figure of the Marquis de Galliffet.

The big reception hall is composed with two rooms decorated with mirors, one with ionic ordianance, the other one with corinthian. The columns are decorated trompe l’oeil style. The dining room evokes the atrium of a Roman mansion. The mirrors abrogates walls and doors ; the sky is painted on the ceiling.

The living-room is logically dedicated to Roman mythology. Above the courtyard side doors, one can see Diane embracing the sheperd Endymion. Garden sides, it is this time Appollon who rides his tank and appears on the bath with a lyre in his hands. All around, trompe l’oeil style arcades are art allegories: painting and engraving, poetry and writing, architecture and geometry, sculture and drawing.

Nathalia Bienvenu-Kapferer and Julia Champagnac, August 2012
Translation : Gautier Delavaud
Photos credit : Florence Jacq and Instituto Italiano di Cultura
Instituto Italiano di Cultura : 73, rue de Grenelle, Paris 7th district (www.iicparigi.esteri.it)

This Beaujolais has won several rewards to the national contests in 2012, including three gold medals. It is a fruit-flavored wine, very enjoyable to go with light, summer meals, with tasty vegetables and melting-taste meats…It is sold around 9.50 euros in delicatessens and cellermen (at La Boutique du Monde or at Vins et Cépages, Paris 14th district, for instance.)

Altogether, the three main appellations of the Château (Beaujolais, Brouilly and Morgon) have received eighteen awards. The Domaine de Pizay consists of 80 hectares of grapevine. Located in a very early-ripening domain, it has reached a balance between freshness and concentration. The limited yields thank to a controlled grassing and a cautious certified farming have allowed to make the difference.

The vintages of this domain have seduced Beaujolais amateur since the Middle-Ages. The total production (more than 470 000 bottles) is vinified and bottled at the Château. A twelve bottles «discovery» box of the 2010 vineyard can be ordered for 98 euros (all taxes included).

Since 1981, the property has been belonging to the Société Civile d’Exploitation du Château de Pizay, subsidiary part to the regional agricultural insurance fund Groupama Rhône-Alpes. It includes a four-star hotel of 62 rooms, and a gastronomic restaurant.

Nathalia Bienvenu-Kapferer, August 2012
Translation : Gautier Delavaud
Photos credit : Château de Pizay

Dior’s link work is a particular form of weaving. In addition to the two traditional warp and weft yarns, come two cross wires to complete the pattern. Garnishing his couture salons with Napoleon III, Christian Dior is diverting it in its collections. From the perfume bottle «L’eau Fraîche» to the purse «Lady Dior», not to mention lipstick tubes and the paving of his shop, link work has become an inseparable part of the brand over time.

The pattern is redesigned for the collection «My Dior» by the designer Victoire de Castellane. Finely woven gold, the mesh caning of the jewelry is perforated to let the light going through, and the pattern is chiseled. A «graphic» collection made of rings, bracelets and cuffs, having each two versions: a simple one and another one crimped with coloured gemstones. Delicate designs, now available in golden yellow, pink and white.

Victoire de Castellane launched the Dior Haute-joaillerie department in 1988. Ambitious, her creations stand out for their excessivness. Colors are bright, jewelry are big and eccentric. A trademark we can find in the last collections «Le Bal des Roses» or «Précieuses», inspired by the rose and the nature.

The haute-couture House Christian Dior opened its first boutique 30, avenue Montaigne in 1947. The avant-gardiste vision of Dior gives then birth to New Look style, which redefines shapes and volumes. Waist is slim, bustine is high and skirts are flared. The following collections will be just as creative, under the directon of the young Yves Saint-Laurent or frivolous John Galliano.

Julie Carpentier, June 2012
Translation : Gautier Lavaud
Photos credit : Dior Joaillerie